Visiting the Peace Center (March 1)

Our first order of business today was to go with Wanna to Peace Center in the Piazza district of Addis Ababa.  This is the place where Moria'h staff goes every Tuesday through Friday morning to serve breakfast to many boys who live on the streets.  Addis and Hana are the staff who lead this particular effort.  Wanna explained to us that there are other places in the city where various charities provide food for street boys, but they don't offer the love of Jesus Christ with their meals.  The boys who come to Peace Center, about 30 on this day, receive much more than food. They come because they are loved there, and they learn about Jesus...and they return day after day.

Right now, they are studying the gospel of John.  Jean, Brad and I were asked to speak to the boys, which we happily did, relating our love for Christ and encouraging them to know an accept His love.  Brad encouraged them to then go forward and share what they are receiving with others.  The meal we then helped to serve consisted of hot tea, bananas and bread.  We will go to Peace Center again tomorrow morning.

In the afternoon, we went back up to Moria'h House where Brad assisted some of the men, along with my Compassion boy, Million, in painting three bedrooms and some outside walls.  Jean and I wanted to help, but the men seemed to have that part of the work well under control, so we returned inside to work on some studies with the younger boys (reciting the alphabet with English words to accompany the letters) and play games.  We broke out the marbles and checkers.  Eventually, when the painting was nearing completion, everyone returned outdoors to play some more.

We were told how important it was to paint the rooms, showing the boys that we are serving them and caring for their needs.  Jerry also noted that one of the small boys who is very shy, was laughing and smiling more than she'd ever seen.  All of the smiles and excitement have warmed our hearts a great deal, for when life can sometimes be very difficult, the weight can grow heavy, and we, along with the wonderful staff people at Moria'h House are helping to not only reduce this weight, but to instill in the boys a new way of life through Jesus Christ.  I think He is surely smiling on what is happening there.